The field of aerosol science and technology is concerned with the study of small particles suspended in a gas. The gas is usually air. However, particles suspended in other gaseous media, such as helium, argon, hydrogen, etc. are also considered as an aerosol.
The study of properties and behavior of small airborne particles is facilitated by the use of monodisperse aerosols, i.e. aerosol comprised of particles that are substantially uniform in size. This invention relates to a method and apparatus for generating monodisperse aerosols which may be subsequently processed to carry a specific charge or charge distribution for laboratory research and experimentation.
Many methods and apparatus have been developed by scientists and engineers working in the field of aerosol science and related fields for generating monodisperse aerosols. Examples include those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,790,079 and 8,272,576 B2.